Method and apparatus for performing distributed speech processing in a communication system

ABSTRACT

The present invention addresses the need for an apparatus and method for facilitating and performing distributed speech processing in a wireless communication system. The present invention encompasses communication infrastructure embodiments that facilitate distributed speech processing by establishing voice and data pathways to support distributed speech processing services. The present invention also encompasses a communication unit that performs distributed voice recognition and distributed speech synthesis via the communication infrastructure. The communication unit ( 102 ) requests communication services from the communication infrastructure ( 101 ) that support both voice and data communication and utilizes a data connection to a distributed speech processing unit ( 116 ) to perform distributed voice recognition and distributed speech synthesis.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to co-pending applications entitled “METHODAND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING DISTRIBUTED SPEECH PROCESSING IN ACOMMUNICATION SYSTEM” and “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDINGSIMULTANEOUS VOICE AND DATA COMMUNICATION IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”,filed on even date herewith, and assigned to the assignee of the instantapplication.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to communication systems and, inparticular, to facilitating and performing distributed speech processingin communication systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Distributed speech processing includes distributed voice recognition anddistributed speech processing. Distributed voice recognition involvesthe extraction of speech features by one device and pattern recognitionby another device, and distributed speech processing involves thegeneration of speech synthesis data by one device and the speechsynthesis by another device. The integration of distributed speechprocessing technology into wireless communication systems is arelatively new problem requiring solutions that are compatible withexisting wireless technology and systems. In a wireless communicationsystem, a communication unit may perform the feature extraction orspeech synthesis while infrastructure equipment performs the patternrecognition or speech synthesis data generation. In such a system, acommunication path between the communication unit and the appropriateinfrastructure equipment is needed to facilitate the distributed speechprocessing service. The characteristics and capabilities of thiscommunication path determine the extent to which distributed speechprocessing can be utilized by users of the communication system.

Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and method for facilitating andperforming distributed speech processing, in the context of a wirelesscommunication system, that is compatible with existing wirelesscommunication systems and yet provides users flexibility in utilizingdistributed speech processing capabilities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram depiction of a communication system inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram depiction of a communication system inaccordance with a first alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram depiction of a communication system inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a logic flow diagram of steps executed by a communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a logic flow diagram of steps executed by a communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing in accordancewith a first alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a logic flow diagram of steps executed by a communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing in accordancewith a second alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a logic flow diagram of steps executed by a communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing in accordancewith a third alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a logic flow diagram of steps executed by a communication unitto perform distributed speech processing in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a logic flow diagram of steps executed by a communication unitto perform distributed speech processing in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention addresses the need for an apparatus and method forfacilitating and performing distributed speech processing in a wirelesscommunication system. The present invention encompasses communicationinfrastructure embodiments that facilitate distributed speech processingby establishing voice and data pathways to support distributed speechprocessing services. The present invention also encompasses acommunication unit that performs distributed voice recognition anddistributed speech synthesis via the communication infrastructure. Thecommunication unit requests communication services from thecommunication infrastructure that support both voice and datacommunication and utilizes a data connection to a distributed speechprocessing unit to perform distributed voice recognition and distributedspeech synthesis.

The present invention encompasses a first method for a communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing. Thecommunication infrastructure receives a request from a communicationunit for a communication service that supports both voice and datacommunication and receives a call request for a call between thecommunication unit and a communication device. The communicationinfrastructure establishes a voice path between the communication unitand the communication device using a wireless communication resource andestablishes a data path between the communication unit and a distributedspeech processing unit using the wireless communication resource.

Another embodiment of the present invention encompasses a second methodfor a communication infrastructure to facilitate distributed speechprocessing. The communication infrastructure receives a request from acommunication unit to call a distributed speech processing unit. Thecommunication infrastructure also receives a request from thecommunication unit for a communication service that supports alternatevoice and data communication. In response, the communicationinfrastructure establishes a voice path between the communication unitand the distributed speech processing unit using a wirelesscommunication resource and establishes a data path between thecommunication unit and the distributed speech processing unit using thewireless communication resource.

Additionally, the present invention encompasses a first method for acommunication unit to perform distributed speech processing. Thecommunication unit requests a communication service from a communicationinfrastructure that supports both voice and data communication. Thecommunication unit further requests a voice connection, as provided bythe communication service, between the communication unit and acommunication device and requests a data connection, as provided by thecommunication service, between the communication unit and a distributedspeech processing unit. The communication unit extracts speechprocessing data from a voice signal and transmits the speech processingdata to the distributed speech processing unit via the data connection.

Another embodiment of the present invention encompasses a second methodfor a communication unit to perform distributed speech processing. Thecommunication unit requests a communication service from a communicationinfrastructure that supports both voice and data communication. Thecommunication unit further requests a voice connection, as provided bythe communication service between the communication unit and acommunication device and requests a data connection, as provided by thecommunication service, between the communication unit and a distributedspeech processing unit. The communication unit receives speech synthesisdata from the distributed speech processing unit via the data connectionand synthesizes the speech synthesis data into a voice signal.

Another embodiment of the present invention encompasses a firstcommunication unit apparatus. The communication unit comprises atransmitter and a processor, coupled to the transmitter, that instructsthe transmitter to transmit to a communication infrastructure a requestfor a communication service that supports both voice and datacommunication a request for a voice connection, as provided by thecommunication service, between the communication unit and acommunication device, and a request for a data connection, as providedby the communication service, between the communication unit and adistributed speech processing unit. The communication unit alsocomprises a receiver, coupled to the processor, that receives speechsynthesis data from the distributed speech processing unit via the dataconnection and provides the processor with the speech processing datafor speech synthesis.

Finally, the present invention encompasses a second communication unitapparatus. The second communication unit apparatus comprises atransmitter and a processor, coupled to the transmitter, that instructsthe transmitter to transmit to a communication infrastructure a requestfor a communication service that supports both voice and datacommunication, a request for a voice connection, as provided by thecommunication service, between the communication unit and acommunication device, and a request for a data connection, as providedby the communication service, between the communication unit and adistributed speech processing unit. The processor further instructs thetransmitter to transmit, to the distributed speech processing unit viathe data connection, speech processing data extracted from a voicesignal.

The present invention can be more fully understood with reference toFIGS. 1-9. FIG. 1 is a block diagram depiction of a communication system100 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.The preferable communication system 100 comprises a communicationinfrastructure 101 and communication unit 102. The communicationinfrastructure 101 comprises a base site 104, a switching center 108, atranscoding unit 110, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 112,the Internet 114, and a distributed speech processing unit 116. In thepreferred embodiment, the communication system 100 comprises an “iDEN”communication system that is commercially available from Motorola, Inc.of Schaumburg, Ill. Accordingly, the communication unit 102 preferablycomprises an “iDEN” radiotelephone, and the communication infrastructure101 comprises infrastructure equipment, preferably “iDEN” infrastructureequipment, such as an “iDEN” Enhanced Base Transceiver System (EBTS) forbase site 104, an “iDEN” Enhanced Transcoder (EXCDR) and an “iDEN”Interworking Function (IWF) for transcoding unit 110, and an “iDEN”Mobile Switching Center (MSC) for switching center 108. The distributedspeech processing unit 116 preferably comprises a computer telephonyplatform comprising conventional circuitry operated and controlled byroutinely developed software, such as the circuitry and software used incentral processing units and network interface cards (NICs). Thecomputer telephony platform performs distributed speech processing byemploying known distributed speech processing algorithms such as thosecurrently under consideration by the European TelecommunicationsStandards Institute (ETSI). The PSTN 112 and the Internet 114 are knownpublic access networks.

Operation of a preferred communication system 100 in accordance with thepresent invention, occurs substantially as follows. The base site 104receives a request from the communication unit 102 via a wirelessinterface 106 for a communication service that supports both voice anddata communication. Preferably, the request is for a Global System forMobile communications (GSM) alternate speech and data service combinedwith a direct connect service. The GSM alternate speech and data servicesupports voice and data communication alternately, and the directconnect service supports a data connection to the distributed speechprocessing unit 116 via transcoding unit 110.

The communication service request preferably indicates whether voice ordata is requested as the first mode. If, for example, data is requestedas the first mode, the communication infrastructure 101 establishes adata path between the communication unit 102 and the distributed speechprocessing unit 116 using a wireless communication resource of thewireless interface 106. In the preferred embodiment, the data pathbetween the communication unit 102 and the distributed speech processingunit 116 is established via a data communication network such as theInternet 114. Also in the preferred embodiment, the switching center108, in response to the communication service request, routes datacommunication between the communication unit 102 and the distributedspeech processing unit 116 via a data transcoder logically included inthe transcoding unit 110. The data transcoder preferably comprises an“IDEN” IWF that converts between “iDEN” data and 64 kbps pulse codemodulation (PCM) data. Thus, the distributed speech processing unit 116is able to receive speech processing data from the communication unit102 via the data path.

The communication infrastructure 101 further receives a call requestassociated with communication service request for a call between thecommunication unit 102 and a communication device (not shown).Preferably, the communication device is connected to the PSTN 112 andcomprises a device such as a telephone or a voice mail server. Thecommunication infrastructure 101 establishes a voice path between thecommunication unit 102 and the communication device using the wirelesscommunication resource. In the preferred embodiment, the voice pathbetween the communication unit 102 and the communication device isestablished via a telephone network such as the PSTN 112. Also in thepreferred embodiment, the switching center 108, in response to the callrequest, routes voice communication between the communication unit 102and the communication device via a voice transcoder logically includedin the transcoding unit 110. The voice transcoder preferably comprisesan “iDEN” EXCDR that converts between Vector Sum Excited LinearPredicting (VSELP) voice and PCM voice. Thus, the communication deviceis able to receive voice communication from the communication unit 102via the voice path.

Either voice or data may be requested as the first mode. If voice isrequested as the first mode, the voice path is preferably established asdescribed above. The data path is then preferably established, asdescribed above, in response to the receipt of a data path requestassociated with the communication service request. Thus, a request for asecond mode of the alternate speech and data, direct connect service maybe received by the communication infrastructure at any time.

The voice path and the data path use the wireless communication resourcealternately. In the preferred embodiment, the switching center 108receives an indication to switch between the data path and the voicepath. Preferably, the indication to switch comprises a call hold requestfrom the communication unit 102. In response, the switching center 108switches between the data path and the voice path. For example, if thevoice path is currently being used for voice communication between thecommunication unit 102 and the communication device, a user of thecommunication unit may “put the call on hold” and thereby send anindication to switch from the voice path to the data path.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram depiction of a communication system 200 inaccordance with a first alternate embodiment of the present invention.The alternate communication system 200 comprises a communicationinfrastructure 201 and a communication unit 202. The alternatecommunication system 200 is similar to the preferred communicationsystem 100 as follows. The communication infrastructure 201 comprises abase site 204, a switching center 208, a transcoding unit 210, a publicswitched telephone network (PSTN) 212, the Internet 214, and adistributed speech processing unit 216. The communication system 200comprises an “iDEN” communication system. Accordingly, the communicationunit 202 comprises an “iDEN” radiotelephone, and the communicationinfrastructure 201 comprises “IDEN” infrastructure components such as an“IDEN” EBTS for base site 204, an “iDEN” EXCDR and an “iDEN” IWF fortranscoding unit 210, and an “iDEN” MSC for switching center 208. Thedistributed speech processing unit 216 comprises a distributed speechprocessing unit as described above with regard to the distributed speechprocessing unit 116. The PSTN 112 and the Internet 114 are known publicaccess networks.

The alternate communication system 200 differs from the preferredcommunication system 100 in the manner in which the distributed speechprocessing unit 216 interfaces with other components of thecommunication infrastructure 201. The distributed speech processing unit216 is coupled to the switching center 208 via an interface capable ofsupporting voice and data communication. The distributed speechprocessing unit 216 is also coupled to both the PSTN 212 and theInternet 214 via an interface capable of supporting voice communicationand an interface capable of supporting data communication, respectively.

Operation of an alternate communication system 200 in accordance withthe present invention occurs substantially as follows. The base site 204receives from the communication unit 202, via a wireless interface 206,a request for a GSM alternate speech and data service and a request tocall the distributed speech processing unit 216. In response to thisservice request and this call request, the communication infrastructure201 establishes a data path between the communication unit 202 and adistributed speech processing unit 216 using a wireless communicationresource of the wireless interface 206. The switching center 208, infact, routes data communication between the communication unit 202 andthe distributed speech processing unit 216 via a data transcoderlogically included in the transcoding unit 210. Thus, the distributedspeech processing unit 216 is able to receive speech processing datafrom the communication unit 202 via the data path.

In response to the service request and the call request, thecommunication infrastructure 201 further establishes a voice pathbetween the communication unit 202 and the distributed speech processingunit 216 using the wireless communication resource. A switching center208 routes voice communication between the communication unit 202 andthe distributed speech processing unit 216 via a voice transcoderlogically included in the transcoding unit 210. Thus, the distributedspeech processing unit 216 is able to receive voice communication fromthe communication unit 202 via the voice path.

Therefore, the distributed speech processing unit 216 receives bothvoice communication and data communication from the communication unit202. The data communication comprises speech processing data that thedistributed speech processing unit 216 further processes for the purposeof performing voice recognition. Since the voice path and the data pathare conveyed via the same physical link to the distributed speechprocessing unit 216, the distributed speech processing unit 216 mustdifferentiate between received voice communication and received datacommunication by known signal processing techniques or by recognizingindicators inserted by other infrastructure equipment included in thevoice or data paths. Connectivity with the Internet 214 allows thedistributed speech processing unit 216 to retrieve information, forexample, in response to interpreted voice commands. Connectivity withthe PSTN 212 allows voice communication to be established between thecommunication unit 202 and a communication device connected to the PSTN212 via the distributed speech processing unit 216.

The voice path and the data path use the wireless communication resourcealternately and switching between the voice path and the data pathoccurs substantially the same as in the preferred embodiment. Theswitching center 208 receives an indication to switch between the datapath and the voice path from the communication unit 202. In response,the switching center 108 switches between the data path and the voicepath.

As in the preferred embodiment, either voice or data may be requested asthe first mode. Unlike the preferred embodiment, however, the voice pathand the data path both connect the communication unit 202 with thedistributed speech processing unit 216. The GSM alternate speech anddata service, in general, provides a client both voice and datacommunication but only with a single destination client. Thus, thepreferred embodiment requires an additional service, the direct connectservice, in combination with the GSM alternate speech and data serviceto allow a communication unit to alternately exchange voicecommunication with a first destination client, a communication device,and data communication with a second destination client, a distributedspeech processing unit. The alternate communication system 200, incontrast, does not require any additional service to be combined withthe GSM alternate speech and data service.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram depiction of a communication system 300 inaccordance with the present invention. The preferred communicationsystem 300 comprises the communication unit 102, the communicationinfrastructure 101, and a computer 324. The communication infrastructure101 comprises a distributed speech processing unit with Internetconnectivity as described above. The communication unit 102 comprises aprocessor 316 that preferably comprises a known microprocessor andmemory. Coupled to the processor 316 are a receiver 312, a transmitter314, a keypad 320, a display 318, a tone generator 322, and a computerport 326. The receiver 312, the transmitter 314, the keypad 320, thedisplay 318, the tone generator 322, and the computer port 326 are eachknown components of wireless phones that comprise conventional circuitryoperated and controlled by routinely developed software and/or firmware.The computer 324 preferably comprises a laptop computer but may be anycomputing device capable of interfacing with the communication unit 102via the computer port 326.

Operation of the preferred communication system 300 in accordance withthe present invention occurs substantially as follows. The processor 316instructs the transmitter 314 to transmit to the communicationinfrastructure 101 a request for a communication service that supportsboth voice and data communication, a request for a voice connection, asprovided by the communication service, between the communication unit102 and a communication device, and a request for a data connection, asprovided by the communication service, between the communication unit102 and the distributed speech processing unit.

The communication service requested provides both a voice connection anda data connection for use by the communication unit 102. Because onlyone of the connections may be utilized at a time in the preferredembodiment, switching between the voice connection and the dataconnection requires an indication to be transmitted to the communicationinfrastructure. A user of the communication unit may preferably triggersuch an indication by pressing a button or a key on the communicationunit 102 or by speaking a designated word or phase that is recognized bythe communication unit 102.

Preferably after switching to the data connection with the distributedspeech processing unit, the processor 316 further instructs thetransmitter to transmit to the distributed speech processing unit, viathe data connection, speech processing data extracted from a voicesignal. In the preferred embodiment, the voice signal is generated fromthe speech of a user of the communication unit 102. The processor 316then preferably performs feature extraction of the speech conveyed bythe voice signal in accordance with known voice recognition techniques.

When the user speech comprises a voice command that requestsinformation, the distributed speech processing unit preferablyinterprets the request and retrieves unit corresponding information.Information such as stock market related information, weather relatedinformation, navigational information, news related information, sportsrelated information, traffic related information, or directory relatedinformation may be requested, for example. The distributed speechprocessing unit may retrieve such information via the Internet orinternal databases. Once retrieved, the information is transmitted tothe communication unit 102 via the data connection.

Instead, when the user speech comprises a voice command that contains acommunication service related request, the distributed speech processingunit preferably interprets the request and generates one or more GSMdirect transfer application part (DTAP) messages that correspond to thecommunication service requested. Communication service related requestssuch as a request to call a given number, a request to call a givenperson, a request to establish a call forwarding number, a request toput a call on hold, a request to retrieve a call, a request to transfera call, and a request to invoke a three-way conference call may beincluded in the voice command, for example. The GSM DTAP messages arethen transmitted to the communication unit 102 via the data connection.

The receiver 312 receives information from the distributed speechprocessing unit via the data connection. When one or more communicationservice request messages, i.e. GSM DTAP messages, for the communicationinfrastructure are received, the processor 316 instructs the transmitter314 to transmit the communication service request messages to thecommunication infrastructure 101. Thus, the communication unit 102requests the communication service from the communication infrastructureusing communication service request messages generated by thedistributed speech processing unit.

In the preferred embodiment, information received from the distributedspeech processing unit via the data connection may indicate adestination for the information to be piped upon receipt. Suchdestinations preferably include the communication unit display 318, thecommunication unit computer port 326, the communication unit tonegenerator 322, and the communication unit transmitter 314. The voicecommand that requests the information preferably indicates thedestination for the information to be piped upon receipt by thecommunication unit. When the destination is the display 318, theprocessor 316 pipes the information received from the distributed speechprocessing unit to the display 318. When the destination is the tonegenerator 322, the processor 316 pipes the information received from thedistributed speech processing unit to the tone generator 322. And whenthe destination is the computer port 326, the processor 316 pipes theinformation received from the distributed speech processing unit to thecomputer port 326.

In the preferred embodiment, information is also transmitted to thedistributed speech processing unit for synthesis into speech. Keypressinformation from the keypad 320 is transmitted to the distributed speechprocessing unit via the data connection by the transmitter 314 wheninstructed to do so by the processor 316. Such keypress informationpreferably comprises text keyed by a user of the communication unit 102.The transmitter 314 transmits display information from display 318 tothe distributed speech processing unit via the data connection, wheninstructed to do so by the processor 316. Preferably, displayinformation comprises text viewed via display 318 and selected by a userof the communication unit 102. The user may thus select an email or ashort message service message for synthesis into speech. The transmitter314 transmits information received by the computer port to thedistributed speech processing unit via the data connection, wheninstructed to do so by the processor 316. Preferably, textualinformation from computer 324 may thus be synthesized into speech. Thetransmitter 314 also transmits communication service related informationto the distributed speech processing unit via the data connection, wheninstructed to do so by the processor 316. The communication servicerelated information preferably comprises GSM DTAP messaging.

Upon receiving information for synthesis into speech via the dataconnection, the distributed speech processing unit preferably generatesspeech feature information. The speech feature information is then sentto the communication unit 102 and converted into audible speech, all byknown distributed speech synthesis techniques. Thus, speech synthesis oftextual information and communication service related information isperformed in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention provides a user of a wireless communication systemmany ergonomic enhancements and capabilities. The use of voicerecognition technology simplifies the user-to-communication unitinterface. It allows “hands free” operation of a communication unitwhile driving, for example. The use of distributed voice recognitiontechnology in wireless communication systems enhances voice recognitionby extracting speech features before speech is degraded by transmissionover a wireless interface.

The present invention, in addition, provides the user the ability toobtain information simply by speaking into the communication unit andasking. The user can, for example, ask for the latest news headlines orstock prices and specify that the information be sent to thecommunication unit display. The user, involved in a telephone call, canplace the call on hold, ask for the weekend weather forecast, obtain theforecast, and return to the telephone call. The user can speak adesignated word or phrase-to obtain a connection to the distributedspeech processing unit and ask that an urgent email message besynthesized into speech so that she can listen to it, rather thanreading it, while driving. Or the user, involved in a telephone callwhile driving, can speak a designated word or phrase to obtain aconnection to the distributed speech processing unit, ask to initiate athree-way call between the call in progress and another person whosetelephone number is not known, and continue to drive, without touchingthe communication unit, while the three-way call is established.

The present invention provides such flexibility to a user byestablishing voice and data paths that connect a communication device toboth a distributed speech processing unit and other communicationdevices simultaneously and switching between paths when indicated orappropriate. Such flexibility is also provided by disclosing acommunication unit that performs the speech feature extraction, thespeech synthesis, the piping of distributed speech processing unitinformation appropriately, and the recognition of the designated word orphase used to request a connection to a distributed speech processingunit. Finally, the present invention provides embodiments that buildupon existing GSM services and equipment. Thus, it is shown thatdistributed speech processing capabilities can be realized by a wirelesscommunication system compatible with existing wireless communicationsystems.

FIG. 4 is a logic flow diagram 400 of steps executed by a communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The logic flowbegins (402) when the communication infrastructure receives (404) a callrequest for a call between a communication unit and a communicationdevice. The communication device is preferably connected to a PSTN andcomprises a device such as a telephone or a voice mail server. A voicepath between the communication unit and the communication device isestablished by a switching center within the communicationinfrastructure that routes (406) voice communication via a voicetranscoder.

In the preferred embodiment, the communication infrastructure thenreceives (408) a request from the communication unit for a communicationservice that supports alternate voice and data communication. In thepreferred embodiment, this alternate voice and data communicationservice request may also be received before or with the call requestgiving a user of the communication unit added flexibility, i.e.,flexibility not currently supported by GSM communication services. Adata path between the communication unit and a distributed speechprocessing unit is established by the switching center that routes (410)data communication via a data transcoder. The distributed speechprocessing unit may be a distributed speech processing unit selected bydefault, as when only one such unit is available, or alternatively, arequest indicating a particular distributed speech processing unit forconnection may be received by the communication infrastructure.

Preferably, the switching center will switch (414) between the data pathand the voice path in response to receiving (412) an indication toswitch from the communication unit. When the data path is thus selected,the distributed speech processing unit is able to receive (416) speechprocessing data from the communication unit via the data path. Thepreferred logic flow as performed by the communication infrastructure tofacilitate distributed speech processing thus ends (418).

FIG. 5 is a logic flow diagram 500 of steps executed by a communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing in accordancewith a first alternate embodiment of the present invention. The logicflow begins (502) when the communication infrastructure receives (504) arequest from the communication unit for a communication service thatsupports alternate voice and data communication, specifically the GSMalternate speech and data service. The communication infrastructure alsoreceives (506) a request from the communication unit to call adistributed speech processing unit. To establish a voice path, aswitching center routes (508) voice communication between thecommunication unit and the distributed speech processing unit via awireless communication resource and a voice transcoder. To establish adata path, the switching center routes (510) data communication betweenthe communication unit and the distributed speech processing unit viathe wireless communication resource and a data transcoder.

Assuming the voice path is currently being utilized, the distributedspeech processing unit receives (512) voice communication from thecommunication unit via the voice path. The switching center will switch(516) from the voice path to the data path in response to receiving(514) an indication to switch from the communication unit. The switchingcenter toggles between the voice path and data path in response toreceiving each indication to switch. When the data path is thusselected, the distributed speech processing unit is able to receive(518) speech processing data from the communication unit via the datapath. The first alternate logic flow, performed by the communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing, ends (520).

FIG. 6 is a logic flow diagram 600 of steps executed by a communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing in accordancewith a second alternate embodiment of the present invention. The logicflow begins (602) when the communication infrastructure receives (604) arequest from a communication unit for a communication service thatsupports alternate voice and data communication. The communicationinfrastructure also receives (606) a call request for a call between thecommunication unit and a communication device.

In response to the call request, the communication infrastructureestablishes (608) a voice path between the communication unit and thecommunication device using a wireless communication resource. Further, atranscoder in the communication infrastructure establishes (610) a datapath between the communication unit and a distributed speech processingunit using the wireless communication resource.

The transcoder will switch (614) between the data path and the voicepath in response to receiving (612) an indication to switch from thecommunication unit. When the data path is thus selected, the distributedspeech processing unit is able to receive (616) speech processing datafrom the communication unit via the data path. The second alternatelogic flow, performed by the communication infrastructure to facilitatedistributed speech processing, ends (618).

In contrast to the previously discussed embodiments of the presentinvention, the transcoder, rather than the switching center,substantially provides the alternate voice and data service to thecommunication unit. The transcoder comprises both a voice transcodingunit and a data transcoding unit, and performs the routing of voicecommunication through the voice transcoding unit, i.e. the voice path,and data communication through the data transcoding unit, i.e. the datapath. Using the transcoder to provide the alternate voice and dataservice to the communication unit allows a wireless communication systemto use a switching center that does not support such a specialized ornon-standard communication service.

FIG. 7 is a logic flow diagram 700 of steps executed by a communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing in accordancewith a third alternate embodiment of the present invention. The logicflow begins (702) when the communication infrastructure receives (704) acall request for a call between the communication unit and acommunication device. In response to the call request, the communicationinfrastructure establishes (706) a voice path between the communicationunit and the communication device using a wireless communicationresource.

The communication infrastructure then receives (708) a request from thecommunication unit for a communication service that supports both voiceand data communication. In response, a transcoder in the communicationinfrastructure establishes (710) a data path between the communicationunit and a distributed speech processing unit using a first portion ofthe wireless communication resource. The transcoder routes (712) datacommunication between the communication unit and the distributed speechprocessing unit via the first portion of the wireless communicationresource. Thus, the distributed speech processing unit is able toreceive (714) speech processing data from the communication unit via thedata path.

The transcoder also routes (716) voice communication between thecommunication unit and the communication device via a second portion ofthe wireless communication resource. Thus, the transcoder upon receivinga request from the communication unit for a communication service thatsupports both voice and data communication, splits the wirelesscommunication resource into two portions, the first portion for the datapath and the second portion for the voice path. Where the wirelesscommunication resource comprises two time division multiplexed (TDM)time slots, a first time slot and a second time slot, the first portionof the wireless communication resource may comprise the first time slotand the second portion may comprise the second time slot, for example.The third alternate logic flow, performed by the communicationinfrastructure to facilitate distributed speech processing, ends (718).

In the third alternate embodiment as described above, the voice path anddata path can be simultaneously utilized by the communication unit,since the wireless communication resource is shared. Sharing, however,reduces the capacity of the wireless communication resource and mayresult in degraded voice quality for voice communication carried via thevoice path. Thus, as in previous embodiments, the transcoder, uponreceiving an indication to switch, will switch between simultaneousvoice and data mode to a voice only mode. In the voice only mode, thedata path is not available and no longer uses a portion of the wirelesscommunication resource. Therefore, the degradation of voice quality isreversed.

FIG. 8 is a logic flow diagram 800 of steps executed by a communicationunit to perform distributed speech processing in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention. The logic flow begins(802) when the communication unit requests a communication service froma communication infrastructure that supports both voice and datacommunication. The communication unit further requests (806) a voiceconnection, as provided by the communication service, between thecommunication unit and a communication device and requests (808) a dataconnection, as provided by the communication service, between thecommunication unit and a distributed speech processing unit. Preferably,a voice signal is generated from the speech of a user of thecommunication unit, and the communication unit extracts (810) speechprocessing data from the voice signal. The communication unit thentransmits (812) the speech processing data to the distributed speechprocessing unit via the data connection.

Preferably, the user speech may comprise a voice command, explicit orimplicit, that contains a communication service related request or avoice command, explicit or implicit, that requests information. When(814) the user speech comprises a voice command that contains acommunication service related request, the communication unit preferablyreceives (816) from the distributed speech processing unit, via the dataconnection, one or more communication service request messages for thecommunication infrastructure, corresponding to the communication servicerelated request of the voice command. In the preferred embodiment, thecommunication service request messages comprise GSM DTAP messages. Thecommunication unit then transmits (818) the one or more communicationservice request messages to the communication infrastructure to requestthe communication service, and the logic flow ends (824).

When (814) the voice command instead requests information, thecommunication unit receives (820) from the distributed speech processingunit requested information via the data connection. In the preferredembodiment, the voice command that requests information indicates adestination for the information to be piped upon receipt by thecommunication unit, and the requested information received from thedistributed speech processing unit indicates the destinationaccordingly. The communication unit then pipes (822) the requestedinformation to the destination indicated by the distributed speechprocessing unit. In the preferred embodiment, the destination indicatedby the distributed speech processing unit may comprise a destinationsuch as a communication unit display, a communication unit computerport, a communication unit tone generator, or a communication unittransmitter. The preferred logic flow, performed by the communicationunit to perform distributed speech processing, thus ends (824).

FIG. 9 is a logic flow diagram 900 of steps executed by a communicationunit to perform distributed speech processing in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention. The logic flow begins(902) when the communication unit requests (904) a communication servicefrom a communication infrastructure that supports both voice and datacommunication. The communication unit further requests (906) a voiceconnection, as provided by the communication service, between thecommunication unit and a communication device and requests (908) a dataconnection, as provided by the communication service, between thecommunication unit and a distributed speech processing unit.

After obtaining the data connection, the communication unit transmitsinformation to the distributed speech processing unit via the dataconnection, preferably information to be synthesized into speech. In thepreferred embodiment, the information transmitted to the distributedspeech processing unit may comprise information such as caller IDinformation, a short message service message, an email message, abattery level indication, or a GSM DTAP message. Also in the preferredembodiment, the source of the information may comprise a communicationunit computer port, a communication unit keypad, or a communication unitdisplay. The communication unit then receives (912) speech synthesisdata from the distributed speech processing unit via the dataconnection, preferably corresponding to the information transmitted.Finally, the communication unit synthesizes (914) the speech processingdata into a voice signal and preferably generates audible speech for auser of the communication unit. The preferred logic flow, performed bythe communication unit to perform distributed speech processing, thusends (916).

The descriptions of the invention, the specific details, and thedrawings mentioned above, are not meant to limit the scope of thepresent invention. It is the intent of the inventors that variousmodifications can be made to the present invention without varying fromthe spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended that all suchmodifications come within the scope of the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for a communication unit to performdistributed speech processing, the method comprising the steps of:requesting by the communication unit a communication service from acommunication infrastructure that supports both voice and datacommunications; requesting by the communication unit a voice connection,as provided by the communication service, between the communication unitand a communication device; requesting by the communication unit a dataconnection, as provided by the communication service, between thecommunication unit and a distributed speech processing unit; extractingby the communication unit speech processing data from a voice signal,wherein the voice signal is generated from user speech and wherein theuser speech comprises a voice command that requests information;transmitting by the communication unit the speech processing data to thedistributed speech processing unit via the data connection; receiving bythe communication unit from the distributed speech processing unit theinformation requested in the voice command via the data connection; andpiping by the communication unit the information requested in the voicecommand to a destination indicated by the distributed speech processingunit, wherein the voice command that requests information indicates adestination for the information to be piped upon receipt by thecommunication unit.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the destinationindicated by the distributed speech processing unit comprises adestination selected from the group consisting of a communication unitdisplay, a communication unit computer port, a communication unit tonegenerator, and a communication unit transmitter.
 3. A method for acommunication unit to perform distributed speech processing, the methodcomprising the steps of: requesting by the communication unit acommunication service from a communication infrastructure that supportsboth voice and data communications; requesting by the communication unita voice connection, as provided by the communication service, betweenthe communication unit and a communication device; requesting by thecommunication unit a data connection, as provided by the communicationservice, between the communication unit and a distributed speechprocessing unit; extracting by the communication unit speech processingdata from a voice signal, wherein the voice signal is generated fromuser speech and wherein the user speech comprises a voice command thatrequests information; transmitting by the communication unit the speechprocessing data to the distributed speech processing unit via the dataconnection; receiving by the communication unit from the distributedspeech processing unit the information requested in the voice commandvia the data connection, piping by the communication unit theinformation requested in the voice command to a destination indicated bythe distributed speech processing unit, wherein the user speechcomprises a voice command that contains a communication service relatedrequest; and receiving from the distributed speech processing unit viathe data connection at least one communication service request messagefor the communication infrastructure that corresponds to thecommunication service related request of the voice command.
 4. Themethod of claim 3, wherein the voice command that contains acommunication service related request comprises a request selected fromthe group consisting of a request to call a given number, a request tocall a given person, a request to establish a call forwarding number, arequest to put a call on hold, a request to retrieve a call, a requestto transfer a call, and a request to invoke a three-way conference call.5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one communication servicerequest message comprises a Global System for Mobile communications(GSM) direct transfer application part (DTAP) message.
 6. The method ofclaim 3, further comprising the step of transmitting the at least onecommunication service request message to the communicationinfrastructure to request the communication service.
 7. A communicationunit comprising; a transmitter; a processor, coupled to the transmitter,that instructs the transmitter to transmit to a communicationinfrastructure a request for a communication service that supports bothvoice and data communications, a request for a voice connection, asprovided by the communication service, between the communication unitand a communication device, and a request for a data connection, asprovided by the communication service, between the communication unitand a distributed speech processing unit, and that instructs thetransmitter to transmit to the distributed speech processing unit viathe data connection speech processing data extracted from a voicesignal, wherein the speech processing data is extracted from a voicesignal that is generated from user speech that comprises a voice commandrequesting information and wherein the voice command that requestsinformation indicates a destination for the information to be piped uponreceipt by the communication unit; and a receiver, coupled to theprocessor, that receives the information requested in the voice commandfrom the distributed speech processing unit via the data connection andthat forwards the information requested in the voice command to theprocessor to be piped to a destination indicated by the distributedspeech processing unit.
 8. The communication unit of claim 7, furthercomprising a display, coupled to the processor, wherein the processorpipes the information received from the distributed speech processingunit to the display.
 9. The communication unit of claim 7, furthercomprising a tone generator coupled to the processor, wherein theprocessor pipes the information received from the distributed speechprocessing unit to the tone generator.
 10. The communication unit ofclaim 7, further comprising a computer port coupled to the processor,wherein the processor pipes the information received from thedistributed speech processing unit to the computer port.
 11. Acommunication unit comprising: a transmitter; a processor, coupled tothe transmitter, that instructs the transmitter to transmit to acommunication infrastructure a request for a communication service thatsupports both voice and data communications, a request for a voiceconnection, as provided by the communication service, between thecommunication unit and a communication device, and a request for a dataconnection, as provided by the communication service, between thecommunication unit and a distributed speech processing unit, and thatinstructs the transmitter to transmit to the distributed speechprocessing unit via the data connection speech processing data extractedfrom a voice signal, wherein the speech processing data is extractedfrom a voice signal that is generated from user speech that comprises avoice command requesting information and wherein the user speechcomprises a voice command that contains a communication service relatedrequest: and a receiver, coupled to the processor, that receives fromthe distributed speech processing unit via the data connection at leastone communication service request message for the communicationinfrastructure that corresponds to the communication service relatedrequest of the voice command.
 12. The communication unit of claim 11,wherein the processor instructs the transmitter to transmit theinformation received from the distributed speech processing unit to thecommunication system infrastructure.